From the Desert to the Holy Land - Current Events and Kabbalah: Part 2

The Jews in Moses' time chose the barren desert over the Holy Land. Jews today are faced with the same fateful decision.

The world stands agape as history inches in the direction of a major war, one that could easily become the final war, perhaps the cataclysmic war of Gog and Magog as described in the biblical prophets.

For each of us, now is the time to decipher the message from God, for all of history is but one long message from God.

From the Torah perspective, this world is about rectification. We seek to rectify mankind's "original transgression" -- when the First Man ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, violating God's command.

In particular, life is about the rectification of individuals and nations -- in our case, that of the Jewish people.

In a practical sense, life in this world is about making choices. Many people view free choice as just a means to an end. Yet from a Torah perspective, free choice is also an end unto itself. As a result, decisions can be rewarded, regardless of the results, which are rarely under our control (Talmud - Brachot 34b).

Some of our choices matter more to God than others. And this is exactly what the Torah comes to teach us: what is important to God, and what He deems not important. Thus Torah study reveals which direction our free choice should flow. And as we implement these Torah ideals, we align our priorities with God's, thereby maximizing our self-development in this world -- and our ultimate reward in the World to Come.

All of life is a stage upon which we activate our Godly power of free choice. History is the platform upon which we bring rectification to the world. In doing so, we bring fulfillment to God's master plan for creation, within which we exist, and from which we derive our spiritual and physical sustenance.

God provides enough clues to lead us through the darkness.

It matters not that people do not believe this to be true, for soon enough this reality will become evident to all. The only question is how much damage we will do to ourselves and the world in reaching that magical moment in history, as we blindly and stubbornly resist what is becoming imminently clear, slowly, day-by-day.

On that day, God will be One and His Name, One. (Zechariah 14:9)

However, we need not grope in the darkness; it is not God's way. First, through His prophets, and later through His righteous teachers, God provides enough clues to lead us through the darkness. Yet, in His way of perfect balance, God does not provide too much information and clues, as not to deny us the chance to use our intellect and free choice to determine what matters most, and what doesn't.

PIECING THE PUZZLE

At this volatile period of history, there are many "clues" from which to draw. One crucial piece is the following teaching of the 17th century Kabbalistic master, the Arizal:

Now you can understand what is written, "Behold, you shall die with your fathers, and this people will rise up" (Deut. 31:16), which is considered to be one of the verses that has no [simple] explanation (Yoma 56a). However, it can be explained that the word "rise" refers to what comes before and after it, and both explanations are true. For in the future, Moses himself will reincarnate and return in the last generation, and this is the meaning of, "You will die with your fathers and rise."

As well, in the final generation, the Generation of Desert will also reincarnate with the Mixed Multitude, and this is what the verse refers to, "this people will rise up." ...[As it says]: "One generation goes, and another comes" (Ecclesiastes 1:4), in order to rectify that generation. Thus, the Generation of the Desert, along with the Mixed Multitude will reincarnate in the final generation, "as in the days of leaving Egypt" (Michah 7:15).

As well, Moses will arise among them... This is why it is written after, "to which they go there (shama)" -- which has the letters mem-shin-heh (Moshe), since Moses will reincarnate with them... (Sha'ar HaGilgulim, Chapter 20, p. 54)

Let us piece this idea together with the Zohar's explanation that Kibbutz Galiot -- the Ingathering of the Exiles -- will last 40 years, the precise amount of time that the Generation of the Desert wandered during Moses' time. This implies that wherever the Dor HaMidbar (Generation of the Desert) failed, the final generation of Dor HaMoshiach (Generation of Moshiach) will have to rectify.

We must understand: Did the Generation of the Desert reject God, Torah and mitzvot? How could they? They saw signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, they walked through the Red Sea, and they were continually enveloped by the Divine Presence in the form of a protective cloud.

According to some commentaries, it was, ironically, their love of Torah learning that made them choose the desert over the Land of Israel. Enemies were kept at bay by the Clouds of Glory, food fell daily from the sky, and clothing never wore out. Could there be a better environment than this to study Torah without pause?

Contrast this to the Land of Israel which would demand physical and spiritual involvement just to earn a living. And settling in Israel was bound to leave the Jewish people vulnerable to attack from surrounding nations, a valid concern of any loving parent.

Yet the Torah speaks harshly of this rejection of the Land of Israel -- even for such "noble" reasons:

...And your children of whom you said they will be taken captive, I shall bring them; they shall know the land that you have despised. But your carcasses shall drop in this wilderness. (Numbers 14:31-32)

NOW, AS THEN

"But that was then and this is now," the skeptical Diaspora Jew has often countered. It is questionable whether there is even a mitzvah to live on the land today, and certainly earning a living in Israel is difficult enough to justify life in the Diaspora, many argue.

If Moshiach would come today, would we jump for joy, or come to Israel with great hesitancy?

But should Moshiach come today and "invite" Jews to return to the land, would the skeptics all jump for joy -- or would they "give up" their lands of choice with great hesitancy?

There are no coincidences from a Torah perspective, and the Arizal has helped us to understand just how deeply true this is. New bodies and new lands suggest a new history, which is why so many have abandoned the ways of their ancestors. However, "old" souls suggest that the present is really just the past all over again, albeit acted out in different parts of the world.

At this late stage of history, it is very significant that a plurality of world Jewry finds itself in the United States. Additionally, those who find themselves in other lands still cite America as a primary influence. This is true even in the Holy Land! Make no mistake: A Jew can physically live in America but have his heart in Israel, while another Jew may physically live in Israel but his heart resides in the Western world.

Be assured that God takes all this into account when reckoning the value of a person's free choice decisions.

What makes this so significant is that American democracy, economy and culture has come to represent the dominant worldview today. It is logical, therefore, at this late stage of history -- as America takes center stage on the road to the Final Days -- that so many Jews are happily settled in America after reaching the "golden era" of our time, while the State of Israel struggles to exert its sovereignty amidst American-led coalitions and campaigns.

In other words, could it be that the Jews of America are the reincarnated Jews of the Desert? Before deciding on the validity (or chutzpah) of such a statement, consider the following bit of history:

As the Holocaust ended, the great sage Rabbi Aharon Kotler was poised to leave the refugee haven of Shanghai. He had to decide whether to go to the Land of Israel to begin rebuilding Torah Jewry there, or to go to America, where the great sage Rabbi Moshe Feinstein was already laying the groundwork in what has long been known in Jewish circles as the "America the Midbar," the spiritual desert.

To help make this historic decision, Rabbi Kotler used the famous "Goral HaGra," the lottery of the sagely Vilna Gaon. Rabbi Kotler "randomly" opened up the Five Books of Moses, and let Divine Providence communicate an answer through whichever relevant verse he "happened" to turn. The random verse was:

That is how Rabbi Kotler came to America, the "desert," so called because at the time it was barren of Torah, a spiritual wasteland. Thus launched Rabbi Kotler's legendary campaign -- together with Rabbi Feinstein -- to lay the foundations upon which Torah Jewry in America was built and thrives. In retrospect, it was a key step for the future of the Jewish people.

21ST CENTURY JEW

However, it is a different America today. It may have once been a desert in the days of Rabbi Kotler, but the desert has bloomed! Today we can enjoy beautiful synagogues across the land, full study houses from state to state, bookstores, Kosher food! You name it! America is no desert today!

Deserts are not permanent places of residence. There comes a time to move on, specifically to the Land of Israel.

Yes, the "desert has bloomed." Though let us not forget. The desert bloomed in Moses' time as well. Mount Sinai, on the day that God descended to give the Torah, bloomed like the Garden of Eden. Yet the Jewish people were not permitted to stay there for more than a short while, and the mount was never given significance as a holy site. Instead, the Jewish nation was sent to its destiny in the Land of Israel -- and the 31 kings who awaited their arrival with sharpened swords.

But deserts are places for Jewish development; they are not permanent places of residence. There comes a time to move on, specifically to the Land of Israel. Though the "desert" is enough for many today, just as it was enough for the spies in Moses' time, it is apparently not enough for God. The Talmud provide a clue:

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: The Holy One, Blessed is He, gave three good gifts to the Jewish people, and all are acquired through suffering: Torah, the Land of Israel, and the World to Come. (Brachot 5a)

To be "sandwiched" between Torah and the World to Come is quite a compliment for the Land of Israel. However, if the Talmud is listing the three according to importance, one might have placed the Land of Israel first, since historically the land was given to Abraham hundreds of years before the Torah was given to his descendants.

The answer is clearly that the Land of Israel is not merely a place for Jews to physically live, but rather it is a mechanism to bring Jews closer to God. As the Torah itself facilitates a relationship between God and His people, the Land of Israel is the most fitting place to apply that knowledge -- specifically because we are so dependent upon God there.

In other words, the Talmud reveals that Torah leads to the Land of Israel, and, the two of them lead to the World to Come.

This is why rejection of the Land of Israel -- even without a rejection of Torah -- is still seen as a rejection of God:

Like the number of days that you spied out the Land -- 40 days -- a day for a year, a day for a year, you shall bear your sins -- 40 years -- and you will understand straying from Me. (Numbers 14:34)

THE CENTRALITY OF ISRAEL TODAY

It is clear that the central issue of the Jewish people today is the Land of Israel. It is at the forefront of the news, and even people who would usually not be concerned are suddenly being "dragged" into the discussion. History is forcing the issue and creating concern for the security of the land and its people, whether we like it or not.

However, though exile is imposed against our will, the Land of Israel and redemption are not. They must be chosen, the result of Jewish yearning for closeness to the Almighty. That explains why Israel is not the most attractive country geographically, economically, socially or militarily. If it were, there would be less free choice involved in moving (or at the least wanting to move) there.

#We must choose whether to focus on the physical world, or with the Creator of it.

God makes Israel look unattractive physically, but extremely attractive spiritually, to help clarify a Jew's priorities in life. We must choose whether to focus on the physical world, or with the Creator of it.

Dangerous as life seems in Israel, now after the attack in New York -- in which more Jews were injured and killed than in the entire year in Israel -- it seems less so.

Yes, choosing to live in Israel is a bit easier after the attack. In other words, free choice has been reduced, which means there is less spiritual reward for deciding now to make aliyah. However, the door is still ajar, and enough free choice remains.

Over the past 100 years, historical phenomenon have clouded the issues by associating love of the land as a replacement for acceptance and loyalty to Torah. In the classical Jewish model, love of God, Torah, and the World to Come automatically results in love of the Land of Israel and a sincere and deep yearning to live there -- even if actually moving there seems impractical or impossible.

The stage is set, the curtain is drawn. For millions of Jews living in America and throughout the Western world, this may not only be the test of a lifetime, it may be the ultimate test of human history.

This article has been edited for Aish.com. A longer, more detailed version can be found at www.thirtysix.org, and, is soon to be a booklet available for free.

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About the Author

Rabbi Pinchas Winston, an Aish alumni, is the author of over 50 books on Torah philosophy, the weekly parshah sheet PERCEPTIONS, and his site Thirtysix.org. He hosts the “Ask the Rabbi” radio show for Arutz Sheva (Israel National Radio), and is in the process of translating into English "Sha’ar HaGilgulim," the Arizal’s work on reincarnation (completed chapters can be viewed at: http://shaarhagilgulim.thirtysix.org/Shaar_HaGilgulim/Introduction.html).

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 16

(16)
Yehudith Shraga,
July 22, 2012 4:37 PM

freedom of choice or freedom to choose

The article is very good, speaks to the point, and lift the spirit very much, but there is a point which should be stressed anyway.I may prefer Colombia University over NYU,but who is going to admit me to either of them?-the freedom of choice is useless as our presence in this world,till we come to this conclusion ourselves and start doing something with it,and then we discover,what we wish to do something about is,but there is SOMETHING which keeps us from doing,till we get to know that this very something is the unfoldment of our potential=the purpose we came to this world for,and the SOMETHING is our ego which wishes satisfaction here and now and don't let us do minimum overcome to beging building Something out of Nothing=Yesh miAin which is the only creation the Creator created,all what is called Something belong to him, all what is called Nothing belongs to creation,but the Mercy of the Creator is in His indirect influence on us with His Light which shows us that we are not ZERO,but we are Nothing with potential of becoming Something in realization of our potential. we ARE granted by Creator the freedom of choice,but only through the work in Torah and Mitzvot we really become Free to Choose,otherwise there will be always our dreams,and nothing real in particlural.Now let's try to understand the role of Torah and Mitzvot system in converting the freedom of choice into the Freedom to Choose,besides their Devine origin, which our Sages help us to understand,we see that they are directed on our expantion of consioucness in what we are doing, thinking all the time what is permited and what is prohibited,how we perform each Mitzva,now we come out of difficult situation without braking the Law-Khow How is onset! When we learn to do something for the sake of prize at least,we are given the Freedom to Choose our participation in the correction of the Creation to the level of getting all the Good for the sake of bestowing without any egoistic calculations in advance.

(15)
Benjamin Kastenbaum,
September 6, 2008 5:20 PM

searching for an answer

I consider myself just your average American jew. i grew up in northeast pa and attended religious schooling from the time i was just an infant to after i had my barmitzvah. I always tried to understand my place in Judaism. always searching for an answer, a clue even. At some points i questioned my faith and wondered where life would lead me. i always saw the pursuit of wealth as just a distraction or waste of time. alot of times i find myself contemplating something my mother told me when i was young, that the rabbi's said i was to become a rabbi myself one day. recently my cousin and my brother went to isreal through an organization online that helped pay for it, i have yet to go and my window of oppurtunity is closing.
at ne rate this article is quite intriguing to say the least. it seems that the more i learn about judaism the more i am drawn to learn more. and this article makes my appetite for that knowledge that much more unquenchable.

(14)
Dr. Alan Laskow,
July 23, 2003 12:00 AM

Sealed

This article sealed my desire to make Aliyah. It gave my soul the wings I need
to to fulfill my inner yearning.

(13)
Gabriela Kotler,
August 22, 2002 12:00 AM

The American Jews as the reincarnated jews of the Midbar?

The American Jews as the reincarnated jews of the Midbar?
You mentioned this statement could be viewed as valid or chutzpa..
In my search for answers regarding the current events and the Jewish people, one of the answers I got in Jerusalem was, the Jewish people is being pushed to its limit..the big war will happen (as you mentioned as well), and one of the most important results (and god's reason for this testing) is the seperation of the state of Israel from its dependency on th"big brother" the United States of America.
I find Rabbi Kotler's decision making process very interesting, and since we share the same last name I wonder if we are somehow related, and if we are, maybe you will find interesting that our Kotler family is living in Israel, Jerusalem.

(12)
Anonymous,
June 21, 2002 12:00 AM

Thank you!

I thoroughly enjoyed the article here and on www.thirtysix.org. From my very limited studies, I have found the kabbalah an interesting road to the discovery of truth.

In this regard, it is both humbling and fascinating to consider G-d may have allowed the USA to come forth for the purpose of being "the desert" of the end times.

With appreciation,
Dick

(11)
james davis,
November 2, 2001 12:00 AM

Thank you for this very interesting article. I have always felt that the messiah will be the one to lead the remnants of Israel in their final Aliyah. And that this would be accomplished without bloodshed through Ruach Ha Kodesh by the will of the Holy One, Blessed Be He. Man cannot hasten the coming of moshiach, by any means except his personal obedience to Torah, study of the Holy Books, and the performance of mitzvot. The settlement of Jews in the Holy Land has increased anti-semitism among the Arabs and increased the physical danger in which Jews in the Holy Land live. Too much blood has been shed by Arab and Jew alike over this land. I can only feel that this violence and bloodshed are sinful and an abomination unto the Lord. Does not the shedding of blood on sacred ground profane it. Part of the responsibility for the violence lies with the Arabs for refusing to accept the existence of Israel and the right of Jews to live on the land, and their violence against the Jews. Responsibility also lays with Jews who may have viewed the Arabs as backwards and treated them as second class citizens. We cannot forget that Jews and Arabs are both sons of our father Abraham. So both have a right to the land as sons of Abraham. We must also remember the instructions that Rabbi Moses Cordovero, may his memory be a Blessing, gave to his students to cultivate the first level of mystic consciousness and nourish the spiritual center of the seeker of G-d : 1. Forbearance in the face of insult. 2. Patience in enduring evil. 3. Pardon to the point of erasing the evil suffered. 4. Total identification with ones neighbor. 5. Complete absence of anger, combined with appropriate action. 6. Mercy, to the point of recalling only the good qualities of one's tormentor. 7. Eliminating all traces of vengefulness. 8. Forgetting suffering inflicted on oneself by others and remembering only the good. 9. Compassion for the suffeering without judging them. 10. Truthfulness. 11. Mercy beyond the letter of the Law with the good. 12. Assisting the wicked to improve without judging them. 13. Remembering all human beings always in the innocence of their infancy. I believe that following these 13 precepts will bring peace and G-d's blessing not only upon Israel, but upon all life in the universe entire. What greater mitzvot could we perform? Boruch Hashem!

(10)
david buxbaum,
October 20, 2001 12:00 AM

excellent article

this is the outstanding kind of article that makes Aish Hatorah's web site the best Jewish site;please keep up the excellent work!

(9)
Mark Glowatz,
October 17, 2001 12:00 AM

exactly how I feel

Thank you for your article. After I visited Israel I spent a great deal of time studying and learning more about it. As you say, my heart is in Israel eventhough I'm physically here in America. Thank you.

(8)
sanaz(devorah) saeidian,
October 17, 2001 12:00 AM

It was a grate article.

Dear Rabii Pinchas,
You would be amazed that how your article made me to make my decision of having a trip to israel or not!
I am a student in usa and imigrated here 2 years ago from Iran.The gratest whish that i ever had isto see the holyland and to kiss the land of Israel my first and last country.Now that i got the opportunity everyone is trying to change my mind about itbut, you know what? by reading your article i know that i have to make the right choice and that is to have this trip if hashem helps me.
thank you so Much.

(7)
Yuliya Goldberg,
October 16, 2001 12:00 AM

thank you fo rthis article

After reading this article, I became
convinced trhat moving to Israel is a right thing for me to do.
I wanted to move there ever since I visited for the first time. Thank you for this article. It gives me reassurance.

(6)
Anonymous,
October 15, 2001 12:00 AM

Thank you

Thank you once again for the food for my soul.
G_d bless you.

(5)
Anonymous,
October 15, 2001 12:00 AM

Well done...

Please include more Zohar and ancient sources with relevant current meaning - deep meaning, such as Moshe and the generations reincarnating.

(4)
Mike Culkin,
October 14, 2001 12:00 AM

Rabbi Winston

I have very much appreciated the Rabbi's two part article on the Kabbalah and current events. Brilliant.

(3)
SYLVIA BERMAN,
October 14, 2001 12:00 AM

2 POINTS!ON THE MARK!UMEIN

MAY YOU BE BLESSED TO ALWAYS PROJECT THE REALITY OF THE TIMES AS WAS WRITTEN IN OUR HISTORIC PAST.WE ARE ONE OF THE FIRST 6 FAMILIES TO HAVE SETTLED IN OFRAH,BINYAMIN.CHAZAK,CHAZAK VNTCHAZAK.MISPACHAT BERMAN

(2)
Merlin Houzet,
October 14, 2001 12:00 AM

I love your web site

This is a beautiful and most enlightening web site. It is my earnest wish that the whole world could receive it. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Shalom

(1)
Linda Litton,
October 14, 2001 12:00 AM

Thank You!

Outstanding. I can not get enough of articles like this. Unfortunately, I am not learned enough to do my own research. I am desperate for information exactly like this, relevant to current events AND giving me direction according to a reliable, Torahdik point of view. Keep it coming. I feel like time is of the essence. I e-mailed this article to 15 people. I need as much info as possible. I feel like we are all fighting our own personal war against evil and information is our ammunition. THANK YOU so very much. I know H-shem will reward you a thousand fold for your efforts.

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!